Velocity Exercise CHB-R2101 Recumbent Exercise Bike

Recumbent bikes have grown in popularity over the past decades because of their unique level of comfort and fat-blasting capacities; but most of all, because with them you can also minimize the risk of cycling-related injuries like lower back pain and strain. On that note, if you’re shopping for your first recumbent bike, you can check out the Velocity Exercise CHB-R2101, which is ideal for beginners who are on a restricted budget since it costs only between $100 and $200. And while it is not packed with an avalanche of options, it does feature the basic amenities that you will require for a decent workout. However, it may not be entirely suitable for more advanced athletes since the lack of more professional amenities might seem somewhat boring to them.

Comfort Level

This particular model comes with a decent level of comfort which is ideal for light to moderate use. For example, it comes with a lightly padded seat to prevent saddle soreness. However, the padding does thin out after some use and some users found that they needed to resort to a cushion after a few months. The back rest is contoured to easily accommodate your body, even if you’re on the bigger side. You will actually have 20 inches of space between the lightly textured handlebars.

To accommodate both taller and shorter athletes, the machine includes a dial knob to pull the seat forwards and backwards, depending on your individual height. This can, however, seem fiddly to athletes who are used to push-button adjustments. The pedals are oversized and can therefore accommodate various sizes. They come with adjustable straps to secure your ankle firmly into place.

Features and Specifications

The recumbent bike’s main specifications include:

Machine Dimensions: 38 x 53 x 24 inches

Machine Weight: 63 pounds

Maximum User Capacity: 250 pounds

Resistance Levels: 8

Transport wheels: Yes

With a weight capacity of 250 pounds, it can accommodate overweight to mildly obese individuals. Its steel frame and support beam prevent any wobbling or shaking when you exercise, allowing users to indulge in more intense workouts. The digital interface is on the smaller side, but quite easy to understand and operate, even if this is your first time on a recumbent bike.

A smallish screen is additionally included to display a surprisingly detailed array of information about your workout. For example, users will be able to consult their speed in miles, travelled pedaling distance, workout time, accumulated mileage, number of calories burned as well as the pulse. The main button on the screen can be used to shuffle through the different data. The pulse sensors are located in the handlebars so you simply need to hold them and a fairly accurate readout of your pulse will appear on the screen. It should be noted that you can shuffle through the screen to view individual readouts.

The Velocity Exercise CHB-R2101 comes with 8 levels of resistance to help you vary your workout and prevent boredom from settling in. While it can provide a challenging workout for beginners, it may not be stimulating enough for advanced users.

The bike emits very little noise, hence enabling you to watch movies or listen to music while you work out. More importantly, it is equipped with a Two-Way flywheel, which is quite impressive considering the machine’s entry-level features. Thanks to this flywheel, you will be able to pedal both forwards and backwards and consequently tone up the legs and ankles. However, the backwards pedaling motion is not registered on the console. The flywheel is heavy enough to draw your entire body into the motions.

Ease of Use

Because it is powered by magnetic resistance, this bike is extremely easy to use: for starters, instead of an electrical outlet, you simply require two AAA batteries to operate the machine. This enables you to set the bike anywhere you want. In fact, it also comes with transport wheels that serve the same purpose. It is lightweight enough to be carried to different rooms of the house and it does not have an overly-large footprint.

Assembly and parts

Since it arrives partly assembled, you will need to set up the machine. An instructions manual with step-by-step guides and illustrations is included, but some users found it difficult to understand. The seat, screen and pedals need to be joined to the main frame. This task can require between one to two hours. The nut caps and bolts are included but you will also require an Allen wrench for the assembly process. Users found that it was easier to have two set of hands for a far quicker assembly process.

Drawbacks

There have been a few drawbacks reported about this machine. For instance, several users complained about the seat and found that it lacked padding. There were also a few complaints about the adjustment knob. Some people thought that it was hard to reach and they found it difficult to estimate the adjustment settings based on their heights. Lastly, users who are fond of backwards pedaling were dismayed about the fact that the machine did not register the number of calories burned.

Overall

If you don’t have a lot of experience as an athlete and if you want to cut back on your expenses, this might just be the proper machine for you. While this particular model is very popular at the moment, it certainly does lack the professional-quality features you can find on more expensive models such as the Nautilus R616 but, at the end of the day, it gets the job done and can certainly be used for weight loss. With varying levels of resistance and a few handy features the Velocity Exercise CHB-R2101 is also versatile enough to be used by several users. In spite of its few drawbacks, it does remain relatively easy to use and budget-friendly. This machine is covered by a 5 year warranty on the main frame, 90-days on the screen and 30 days on the remaining parts.